Progressively Indicating New Content in an Application-Selectable User Interface

ABSTRACT

This document describes techniques for progressively indicating new content in an application-selectable user interface. These techniques permit a user to view indications of new content for applications progressively, rather than all at one time. By so doing, the techniques may avoid mentally or visually overloading or over-stimulating a user viewing the indications.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/229,702, filed on Sep. 10, 2011, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Conventional operating systems permit users to launch applications, often through a user interface having selectable icons for the applications. In some cases a user selects to launch an application from this user interface and does not care whether there is anything new for that application.

In many cases, however, users launch applications to find out what is new in those applications. A user wishing to find out what is new in her applications, for example, typically selects an icon for a desired application, in response to which the conventional operating system launches the application. This application then opens and, assuming it is one that presents content, presents that content. For some applications, such as news or social-networking websites, the application retrieves content from a remote source and then presents that content. It is at this point that the user sees the content, which may or may not be new since the last time the user viewed content for that application.

The user may continue this process of selecting applications, in response to which they are launched and present content, and then view the presented content to find out what, if anything, is new. Following this process will permit a user to see what is new in her applications, but doing so takes significant amounts of time and effort. This process also expends computing and bandwidth resources. Worse still, in some cases her applications may not have any new content, in which case all of this time, effort, and resources are wasted.

SUMMARY

This document describes techniques for progressively indicating new content in an application-selectable user interface. These techniques permit a user to view indications of new content for applications progressively, rather than all at one time. By so doing, the techniques may avoid mentally or visually overloading or over-stimulating a user viewing the indications.

This summary is provided to introduce simplified concepts for progressively indicating new content in an application-selectable user interface that is further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended for use in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. Techniques and/or apparatuses for progressively indicating new content in an application-selectable user interface are also referred to herein separately or in conjunction as the “techniques” as permitted by the context.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments for progressively indicating new content in an application-selectable user interface are described with reference to the following drawings. The same numbers are used throughout the drawings to reference like features and components:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example environment in which techniques for progressively indicating new content in, or pre-rendering new content for, an application-selectable user interface can be implemented.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example embodiment of the computing device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example embodiment of the remote provider of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example embodiment of the report compiler of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example method for pre-rendering new content for an application-selectable user interface, including determining a portion of a non-visible region in which to pre-render the new content.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example user interface having a visible region, a non-visible region, and a pre-render portion of the non-visible region.

FIG. 7 illustrates the example interface of FIG. 6 along with a new visible region having part of the previously visible region and pre-render portion of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example method for pre-rendering new content for an application-selectable user interface, including based on a previously determined pre-render potion of a non-visible region.

FIG. 9 illustrates an example method for pre-rendering new content for an application-selectable user interface, including determining a pre-render portion of a non-visible region based on a received input.

FIG. 10 illustrates an example interface having visible tiles of a visible region through which a gesture is received and projected tiles of a projected portion of a non-visible region.

FIG. 11 illustrates an example method for progressively indicating new content within an application-selection user interface.

FIG. 12 illustrates an example interface showing an order for progressive indications to be shown in the tiles.

FIG. 13 illustrates an example method for progressively indicating new content within an application-selection user interface, including determining an order in which to perform the indications.

FIG. 14 illustrates an example device in which techniques for progressively indicating new content in, or pre-rendering new content for, an application-selectable user interface can be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Overview

This document describes techniques for progressively indicating new content in an application-selectable user interface. These indications, whether or not they include some of the new content, show that the corresponding application for a tile in which the indication is shown has as-yet-unviewed content. These techniques permit a user to view indications of new content for applications progressively, rather than all at one time. By so doing, the techniques may avoid mentally or visually overloading or over-stimulating a user viewing the indications.

When presenting some or all of the new content in the tile, the techniques enable a user of the interface to decide whether or not to visit the application. In some cases, for example, the new content shown is not interesting to a user and thus the user selects not to visit the application. In some other cases, the new content shown is sufficient information for the user, such as when the new content indicates, through a tile corresponding to a weather website, current weather conditions and projected weather conditions for the rest of the day. In still other cases, the new content is interesting to the user, causing the user to select the tile to visit the application.

Assume that a user wishes to check what is new in her applications. When she selects to view the application interface, assume that there are numerous tiles in which new content is available. Rather than present this new content all at once, the techniques progressively present the indications in the numerous tiles. By so doing, the user may better consume those indications.

This discussion proceeds to describe an example environment in which the techniques may operate, methods performable by the techniques, and an example apparatus below.

Example Environment

FIG. 1 illustrates an example environment 100 in which techniques for progressively indicating new content in an application-selectable user interface can be embodied, as well as other techniques described herein. Environment 100 includes a computing device 102, remote provider 104, optional report compiler 106, and communication network 108, which enables communication between these entities. In this illustration, computing device 102 receives reports 110 from three sources, remote provider 104, report compiler 106, and an application executing on computing device 102 (this application is shown in FIG. 2). Reports 110 indicate what is new or of potential interest for the selectable applications, such as a change to an application's content or status (e.g., a new email, entry, or article, or that a software update or expiration is approaching, to name just a few). Computing device 102 presents user interface 112, which includes selectable tiles for applications and indicates when new content is available.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example embodiment of computing device 102 of FIG. 1, which is illustrated with six examples devices: a laptop computer 102-1, a tablet computer 102-2, a smart phone 102-3, a set-top box 102-4, a desktop computer 102-5, and a gaming device 102-6, though other computing devices and systems, such as servers and netbooks, may also be used.

Computing device 102 includes or has access to computer processor(s) 202, computer-readable storage media 204 (media 204), and one or more displays 206, four examples of which are illustrated in FIG. 2. Media 204 includes an operating system 208, interface manager 210, and applications 212, each of which may provide content 214.

Operating system 208 includes or has access to window-based environment module 216 and/or immersive environment module 218. Applications selected through the techniques can be presented through a windows-based or immersive environment, as well as others.

Windows-based environment module 216 presents applications and accompanying content through windows having frames. These frames provide controls through which to interact with an application and/or controls enabling a user to move and size the window.

Immersive environment module 218 provides an environment by which a user may view and interact with one or more of applications 212 and corresponding new content 214. In some embodiments, this environment presents content of, and enables interaction with, applications with little or no window frame and/or without a need for a user to manually size or position content. This environment can be, but is not required to be, hosted and/or surfaced without use of a typical desktop environment. Thus, in some cases immersive environment module 218 presents an immersive environment that is not a window (even one without a substantial frame) and precludes usage of desktop-like displays (e.g., a taskbar). Further still, in some embodiments this immersive environment is similar to an operating system in that it is not closeable or capable of being un-installed.

Interface manager 210 includes, has access to, or generates an application-selectable user interface 220, an example of which is shown at 112 in FIG. 1. Interface 220 includes or has access to presentation formats 222. Interface manager 210 presents content for, and/or indicates changes associated with, one or more of applications 212 through interface 220, such as an animation to the tile and/or new content in the tile. Interface manager 210 may indicate changes and new content, and perform many operations noted herein, with or without application 212 executing. As noted above, reports 110 may be received directly from one or more of applications 212 (in which case they are executing), or another entity associated with one or more of applications 212, such as remote provider 104 or report compiler 106 (in which case applications 212 may or may not be executing).

In some cases one of reports 110 indicates which presentation format 222 is intended, in which case interface manager 210 reports changes in the appropriate format through interface 220, though following the intended presentation format is optional.

FIG. 3 illustrates example embodiments of remote provider 104. Remote provider 104 is shown as a singular entity for visual brevity, though multiple remote providers are also contemplated herein. Remote provider 104 includes or has to access to provider processor(s) 302 and provider computer-readable storage media 304 (media 304). Media 304 includes report generator 306 and content provider 308.

Report generator 306 is capable of providing one or more reports 110 to computing device 102, either directly or indirectly through report compiler 106. In some embodiments, reports 110 include new content (e.g., text), information useful to gain new content (e.g., with universal resource locators (URLs) to gain images, audio, and/or video), information indicating an update, change, or new content, and/or a presentation format in which the new content is intended to be presented within a tile.

Report generator 306 may act responsive to interface manager 210, such as a request from interface manager 210 for reports 110, though report generator 306 may also act to periodically send, or consistently make available, new content and updates as they become available. Report generator 306 may indicate what is new since a user last selected a particular application, though it may also simply provide reports 110, with which interface manager 210 may instead determine what is or is not new.

Content provider 308 provides content, such as new content 214 associated with application 212. Content provider 308 may act in conjunction with report generator 306, such as to provide new content 214 to report generator 306, which report generator 306 then provides a portion of (or sometimes all of) or information useful to gain the new content 214 within report 110.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example embodiment of report compiler 106. Report compiler 106 is shown as a singular entity for visual brevity, though multiple compilers may also be used. Report compiler 106 includes or has to access to compiler processor(s) 402 and compiler computer-readable storage media 404 (media 404). Media 404 includes compiling module 406, which is capable of receiving and compiling reports 110 from one or more sources, such as report provider 104. Compiling module 406 may receive reports for later provision to computing device 102, such as periodically or when computing device 102 indicates that it is on. Compiling module 406 may determine which changes are new since a particular user last viewed content from an application and provide those of the reports 110 indicating these changes.

Ways in which entities of FIGS. 1-4 act and interact are set forth in greater detail below. The entities illustrated for computing device 102, remote provider 104, or report compiler 106, respectively, can be separate or integrated.

Example Methods

FIG. 5 depicts a method 500 for pre-rendering new content for an application-selectable user interface, including determining a portion of a non-visible region in which to pre-render the new content. In portions of the following discussion reference may be made to environment 100 of FIG. 1 and as detailed in FIGS. 2-4, reference to which is made for example only. Method 500 may operate separate from or in conjunction with, in whole or in part, other methods described herein.

Block 502 determines, for an interface having a visible region in which visible, selectable tiles associated with applications are presented and a non-visible region in which tiles associated with applications are not currently presented, a portion of the non-visible region for which to pre-render new content.

Block 502 may determine the portion in which to pre-render content (the “pre-render portion”) based on various different criteria and analysis, such as device resources (processing power, memory, battery power) and communication bandwidth.

For example, block 502 may determine an historical average of amounts of time between receiving inputs selecting to view prior-selected non-visible regions and pre-rendering new content for tiles to be rendered in the non-visible regions. Assume that the computing device is smart phone 102-3, that the phone has limited communication bandwidth to download new content (such as images or video) and limited computational resources and memory. In such a case, interface manager 210 historically takes a relatively large amount of time between receiving a selection to view a non-visible region and pre-rendering (and later rendering) content changes to tiles. Interface manager 210 determines to set a relatively large pre-render portion so that smart phone 102-3 can be ready to present new content responsive to selection.

Similarly, block 502 may determine the size and location of the pre-render portion based on a projected time to download new content, such as when communication bandwidth is determined to be slower or faster than usual for the device (e.g., table computer 102-2 has a cellular network or a high-bandwidth wireless LAN available).

Block 502 may also or instead determine a pre-render portion based on new content to be presented. Interface manager 210, for example, may determine that some of the reported new content will be time-consuming to download or process, such as if report 110 indicates that an audio-visual file at a URL is new content to be presented in an associated tile, and thus determine to enlarge the pre-render portion to include the associated tile. Conversely, interface manager 210 may determine a smaller pre-render portion if the new contents are simply text residing within reports 110.

The techniques may also or instead determine a pre-render portion based on an input received through the application-selection user interface. Manners in which this is performed as set forth in great detail in other methods herein.

Whatever the manner, block 502 determines the pre-render portion. Consider, for example, FIG. 6, which illustrates user interface 600 having a visible region 602, a non-visible region 604, and a pre-render portion 606 of non-visible region 604. In this example, interface manager 210 determines pre-render portion 606, which includes one column of four tiles having four associated applications. Pre-render portion 606 is a single portion and is adjacent to visible region 602, though pre-render portions may be disparate from a visible region and in multiple parts (e.g., on opposite sides of visible region 602).

Assume, for this example, that nine reports 110 are received during presentation of visible region 602 and prior to receiving a user input selecting to view pre-render portion 606. One of these reports 110 includes text and a URL for an image for a new article on a news website. The other eight of the reports 110 each indicate that a new email has been received and include a subject line and name of the sender within reports 110.

Block 504 pre-renders new content for tiles in the pre-render portion and for which reports indicating the new contents have been received. Block 504 pre-renders the new content and/or effects or indications of new content, though this pre-rendering may include one or many of the following operations: downloading media from a URL; parsing report 110 for text and preparing to render that text in a format, such as one of presentation formats 222 indicated in report 110; preparing to render downloaded media (e.g., storing a bitmap in a graphics card for quick rendering); preparing an appropriate animation effect or calculations thereof for the tiles having new content (e.g., to present a shimmer or gloss over, coloring or highlighting, or reshaping the tile); loading images from disk; and/or localizing text.

Block 506 receives an input selecting to view the non-visible region and, responsive to the input, presents the pre-render portion and renders the pre-rendered new content for the tiles in the pre-render portion for which reports indicating the new content have been received.

Continuing the illustrated example, consider FIG. 7, in which interface 600 shows a new visible region 702 having part of the previously visible region of FIG. 6 (visible region 602) and pre-render portion 606 of FIG. 6. Two of the tiles in new visible region 702 (previously in pre-render portion 606) received changes, which are shown expanded at news webpage tile 704 and email tile 706. As shown, interface manager 210 renders an image 708 and text 710 showing new content 712 within news webpage tile 704. Interface manager 210 also shows new content in email tile 706 for three new emails and indicating that five other emails have been received. Similarly, interface manager 210 indicates, without showing the new content as part of the indication, at indicator 714 (marked “8” for eight new emails).

FIG. 8 depicts a method 800 for pre-rendering new content for an application-selectable user interface, including based on a previously determined pre-render potion of a non-visible region. In portions of the following discussion reference may be made to environment 100 of FIG. 1 and as detailed in FIGS. 2-4, reference to which is made for example only. Method 800 may operate separate from or in conjunction with, in whole or in part, other methods described herein.

Block 802 receives reports associated with applications, the applications having associated tiles, such as one or more reports 110 of FIG. 1. Block 804 determines which of the associated tiles for the received reports are in which regions of an application-selectable user interface, such as a visible region and a pre-render portion of a non-visible region of the interface.

Block 806 renders the new content for the associated tiles in the visible region, such as visible region 602 of FIG. 6, the new content rendered as described above (e.g., as shown in FIG. 7 in tiles 704 and 706).

Block 808 pre-renders new content for the associated tiles in the pre-render portion of the non-visible region. This pre-rendering can be in any of the ways set forth above, including images and text. For example, interface manager 210 can determine URLs in reports 110 that are associated with the associated tiles that are in the pre-render portion of the non-visible region and download visual media from the URLs. Also or instead, interface manager 210 can pre-render text parsed from report 110 or a visual indicator for the associated tiles that are in a remaining portion of the non-visible region.

Further, block 808 may pre-render animations indicating new content. Ways in which this may be performed, including progressive, cascading animations, are set forth in more detail in FIGS. 11-13 below.

Block 810 receives an input selecting to view the non-visible region, such as a panning gesture moving horizontally through the regions of the interface.

Block 812, responsive to the input, presents the pre-render portion and, following presentation or simultaneously with presenting the pre-render portion, block 814 renders the pre-rendered new content for the tiles in the pre-render portion. Continuing one of the above examples, interface manager 210 renders pre-rendered visual media downloaded from a URL in a report 110 within a tile, such as image 708 within tile 704 of FIG. 7.

Note also that method 800 can determine which of reports 110 received at block 802 are in a remaining portion of the non-visible region (the part of the region not determined to be the pre-render portion). Interface manager 210 may determine to perform some operations in preparation for presenting the remaining portion, such as those using small amounts of device resources or bandwidth. In one case, interface manager 210 pre-renders text or a visual indicator for the associated tiles that are in a remaining portion of the non-visible region, but does not download images or other visual media. In this case, interface manager 210 may more-quickly render text and indicators (but not images) in response to a user selection to view the remaining region.

Interface manager 210 may re-perform blocks of method 800 and/or 500 to pre-render for a new pre-render portion after presenting a new visible region, but in some cases a user still selects a remaining portion before pre-rendering can be completed or without pre-rendering being performed. Pre-rendering text and/or indicators, in this case, can improve a user's experience, because while the user may have to wait to see images in a tile, the user knows that new content does exist for the tile.

FIG. 9 depicts a method 900 for pre-rendering new content for an application-selectable user interface, including determining a pre-render portion of a non-visible region based on a received input. In portions of the following discussion reference may be made to environment 100 of FIG. 1 and as detailed in FIGS. 2-4, reference to which is made for example only. Method 900 may operate separate from or in conjunction with, in whole or in part, other methods described herein.

Block 902 presents an interface enabling selection of tiles associated with applications, the interface having a visible region and a non-visible region, such as application-selection interface 600 of FIG. 6.

Block 904 receives a gesture through the interface, the gesture having an inertia. Gestures having inertias can be of various types, such as those made through a touch-sensitive display or a motion-sensitive device with a stylus, finger, or arm, or a mouse-entered selection. Each of these has a velocity and an explicit or implicit friction slowing the velocity. Based on the inertia determined for a gesture, interface manager 210 may determine an ending point responsive to the inertia, such as a particular portion of a non-visible region of the interface.

Block 906 determines, based on the inertia of the gesture, a portion of the non-visible region projected to be presented in response to the gesture. This calculation can be based on the real-world physics calculations (e.g., those in which a gesture is given a mass, velocity, and friction) or be based on other calculations resulting in some ending point.

By way of example, consider FIG. 10, which illustrates an example interface 1000 having visible tiles 1002 of visible region 1004 through which the gesture is received and projected tiles 1006 of projected portion 1008 of non-visible region 1010. Assume here that the gesture is a touch-based gesture panning from a right side of window 1002 to a left side of window 1002 (not shown). While not required, in some cases the inertia alone is not used to determine the projected portion of the non-visible region. In some cases the ending point is altered based on a snap point 1012 (e.g., an end or beginning of a group of tiles) or to avoid showing part of a tile, and so ending between columns of tiles rather than cutting off some of them. In some cases interface manager 210 alters the inertia or calculations to “naturally” show movement through the tiles of the interface to the projected portion.

Block 908 determines a set of the applications for which reports indicating new content have been indicated and that have corresponding tiles within the projected portion of the non-visible region. Here interface manager 210 determines which of the tiles in projected tiles 1006 have new content.

Block 910 pre-renders new content for the corresponding tiles in the projected portion of the non-visible region prior to presenting the projected portion of the non-visible region. Method 900 may do so in various ways described elsewhere herein.

Block 912 presents the projected portion of the non-visible region prior to or simultaneously with block 914. Block 914 renders the pre-rendered new content for the corresponding tiles in the portion of the non-visible region.

Note that interface manager 210 may pre-render the new content while showing movement to the projected portion. Also, interface manager 210 may slow down the movement to the projected portion so that the pre-rendering is completed prior to presenting the projected portion.

Interface manager 210 may present a movement from the visible region, through a different, remaining portion of the non-visible region, and ending at the projected portion. As noted, the techniques may pre-render less resource-intensive new content (e.g., text) or indicators for remaining portions of a non-visible region. Consider again FIG. 10 and note that while showing movement from visible region 1004 to projected region 1008 that various tiles in the non-visible region 1010 will be moved through, though this may be done quickly or relatively slowly. In either case, however, interface manager 210 may indicate new content for these tiles, such as by presenting new text in the tiles or indicating new content is available with an animation or other indicator (e.g., indicator 714 of FIG. 7).

Here assume that interface manager 210 reports changes to eleven of the twelve larger tiles and one of the three small tiles shown in interface 600 of FIG. 6, though any variation of such a presentation is contemplated, such as changes to all or none of the selectable tiles. Note that these changes, even if all of these changes were already received at the time a user selects to view user interface 600, may be presented to each of the various tiles and portions of the tiles progressively. This progressive alteration of the tiles can make user interface 600 look animated. Thus, the changes to the tiles are not necessarily made all at once.

Further, in cases where multiple changes for an application are known, interface manager 210 may present the newest of the changes or rotate through these changes. Interface manager 210 may rotate through changes to maintain a “live” feel to user interface 600 or responsive to activity or inactivity with a tile. Inactively with a tile may indicate that the currently-indicated change is not of interest to a user. As another of the changes may be of more interest, the most-recent change may be rotated off of a tile and an older (but still new) change rotated on to the tile.

While method 900 describes determining a projected region based on a gesture having an inertia, method 900 may receive and determine a projected portion based on other types of inputs, such as hotkeys, page-advancement keys, selections to a graphic (e.g., a scrolling bar), and the like.

Generally, the above-described methods concern pre-rendering new content while the below-described methods concern how new content is rendered. All methods described herein, however, may be used alone or in combination, in whole or in part, with the other methods.

FIG. 11 depicts a method 1100 for progressively indicating new content within an application-selection user interface. In portions of the following discussion reference may be made to environment 100 of FIG. 1 and as detailed in FIGS. 2-4, reference to which is made for example only. Method 1100 may operate separate from or in conjunction with, in whole or in part, other methods described herein, such as methods 500, 800, and 900.

Block 1102 presents, in a visible region of an interface, a set of tiles associated with a set of applications. The set of tiles can be those of a visible region that a user selects to see, such as when a user first selects or returns to an application-selection interface that previously presented the tiles. In such a case block 1102 first presents or re-presents the set of tiles, respectively.

The set of tiles can also be those presented in response to a selection to view a currently non-visible region and the set being those presented in response to the selection in the various manners set forth above.

Block 1104 determines a subset of the set of tiles associated with a subset of applications and for which new content is available. Block 1104 may do so by receiving reports 110 as noted above and determining which indicate new content and which of those have tiles in the set.

Block 1106 determines that a number of the subset or a fraction of the subset relative to the set exceeds a threshold. This threshold can be pre-determined, such as when set by a user or by default. It may also be determined (during or prior to method 1100), such as by interface manager 210 based on a number of tiles viewable on display 206, the size of interface 220, the size of the tiles themselves, as well as types of indications, whether they be a small, simple indication or a complex animation.

The threshold can be based on a specific user or a typical user's mental or visual limit. Some users, for example, will be mentally or visually overloaded or overstimulated if more than five tiles present new content or otherwise indicate that new content is available at one time. Some users will instead be overloaded or overstimulated if more than 4/10ths, 5/10ths, or 6/10ths indicate new content at one time. This threshold, whether based on a fraction of visible tiles or a particular number, can be determined and used to improve a user experience.

Block 1108 progressively indicates, in each of the subset of tiles within the visible region, that new content is available. Block 1108 may progressively indicate new content in numerous ways, such as through cascading indications or animations across the subset of tiles through the visible region. Interface manager 210, for example, may cascade animations from one side to another (e.g., a left-most to a right-most column) or from one corner to an opposite corner (e.g., an upper-left tile to a lower-right tile).

By way of example, consider an upper-left corner to lower-right corner progressive indications illustrated in FIG. 12 in interface 1200. This particular example shows a progressive indication of new content numbered by order of indication. In contrast to other examples, three columns of tiles are visible at one time in interface 1200. Note that interface manager 210 indicates new content in an order, though the delay between each number can vary. In some cases the delay is set at a total time to complete an animation for the prior tile in the order, in others it is based on a fraction of that amount of time, such that as the first tile is part way through displaying an animation the second tile begins to display an animation and so forth. Further, while here the order proceeds through 14 distinct stages (if all of the tiles have new content), fewer stages may instead be used. Thus, interface manager 210 can begin with the first-number tile but then show animations on both tiles 2 and 3 at once, then tiles 4, 5, and 6 at once, and so forth. In cases where interface manager 210 cascades through indications from left-to-right based on columns, for example, interface manager 210 may presents the tiles numbered 1, 2, 4, and 7 at one time, then tiles numbered 3, 5, 8, and 10, then tiles 6, 9, 13, and 14, and lastly 11 and then 12.

The indications showing new content, as noted in part above, can be small and simple (e.g., indication 714 of FIG. 7), animations altering an appearance of the entire tile, presentation of new content (e.g., presenting the new image and text to show that a new article is available as shown at 708 and 710, respectively), rotating through new content or portions thereof, and so forth. Animations of tiles may visibly alter an appearance of the tiles but may or may not include the new content. Interface manager 210 may indicate new content is available by tilting, adding a shimmering effect, or changing a color of a tile, with or without showing the new content in the tile. Note also that in some embodiments, not indicating new content through a tile allows a user to easily understand that no new content is available.

Consider a case where five new articles are available at a news website since a user last-visited the website. In such a case, the indication of method 1100 may include rotating through images and text for each of the five new articles. Or, for even a single content change, interface manager 210 may rotate or scroll through content associated with that content change, such as a title of new article and the first sentence of the article, a name of a person that sent an email and the subject line of the email, or a picture of a person that added content to a social-networking website and the first sentence of the added content.

FIG. 13 depicts a method 1300 for progressively indicating new content within an application-selection user interface, including determining an order in which to progressively indicate. In portions of the following discussion reference may be made to environment 100 of FIG. 1 and as detailed in FIGS. 2-4, reference to which is made for example only. Method 1300 may operate separate from or in conjunction with, in whole or in part, other methods described herein, such as methods 500, 800, 900, and 1100.

Block 1302 receives reports associated with multiple applications and indicates new content or updates to the multiple applications, the multiple applications having associated tiles of an interface through which the new content or the update can be indicated. Block 1302 may do so in various of the manners set forth above, such as similar to block 802 of FIG. 8.

Block 1304 determines which of the associated tiles are in a region of the interface, such as similar to block 804 of FIG. 8.

Block 1306 determines an order in which to indicate the new content or the updates, the order including a delay to indicate at least one of the new content or the updates in the region of the interface. The order can be as noted for method 1100 above, as well as based on when reports 110 are received or a pre-selected priority for various of the applications. Thus, a user may select to have indications noted in a particular order or set some tiles as more important than others. This order can be implicit based on the layout of the tiles or explicit, such as by receiving a selection to increase or decrease an application's priority.

In addition to the order itself, a delay can be based on an amount of time needed to show a certain part of, or all of, an animation, or even an amount of time to download images or content to present as part of the indication (e.g., in cases where the images are not pre-rendered). Further still, the order may also or instead be based on a fraction or number of tiles in the visible region that have new content. Thus, interface manager 210 may more-quickly present indications when there is a large number or fraction visible.

Block 1308 indicates the new content or the updates in the region of the interface and according to the order. Consider again FIG. 12 in which various tiles are shown. Here assume that interface manager 210 determines that tiles numbered 2, 5, 6, and 13 have associated applications for which one of reports 110 indicates new content or an update. Interface manager 210 then determines to present animations starting at tile 2, and then, after a delay, presenting both tiles 5 and 6 at once, and then after another delay, tile 13.

The preceding discussion describes methods for progressively indicating new content in and pre-rendering new content for an application-selectable user interface. These methods are shown as sets of blocks that specify operations performed but are not necessarily limited to the order shown for performing the operations by the respective blocks.

Aspects of these methods may be implemented in hardware (e.g., fixed logic circuitry), firmware, software, manual processing, or any combination thereof. A software implementation represents program code that performs specified tasks when executed by a computer processor. The example methods may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, which can include software, applications, routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules, functions, and the like. The program code can be stored in one or more computer-readable memory devices, both local and/or remote to a computer processor. The methods may also be practiced in a distributed computing environment by multiple computing devices.

These techniques may be embodied on one or more of the entities shown in environment 100 of FIG. 1 (and as detailed in FIGS. 2-4) and/or example device 1400 described below, which may be further divided, combined, and so on. Thus, environment 100 and/or device 1400 illustrate some of many possible systems or apparatuses capable of employing the described techniques. The entities of environment 100 and/or device 1400 generally represent software, firmware, hardware, whole devices or networks, or a combination thereof. In the case of a software implementation, for instance, the entities (e.g., interface manager 210 of FIG. 2, report generator 306 of FIG. 3, and compiling module 406 of FIG. 4) represent program code that performs specified tasks when executed on a processor (e.g., processor(s) 202, 302, and 402, respectively). The program code can be stored in one or more computer-readable memory devices, such as computer-readable storage media 204, 304, or 404 or computer-readable media 1414 of FIG. 14. The features and techniques described herein are platform-independent, meaning that they may be implemented on a variety of commercial computing platforms having a variety of processors.

Example Apparatus

FIG. 14 illustrates an apparatus having various components, here as part of an example device 1400, which can be implemented as any type of client, server, and/or computing device as described with reference to the previous FIGS. 1-13 to implement techniques for progressively indicating new content in, or pre-rendering new content for, an application-selectable user interface. In embodiments, device 1400 can be implemented as one or a combination of a wired and/or wireless device, as a form of television client device (e.g., television set-top box, digital video recorder (DVR), etc.), consumer device, computer device, server device, portable computer device, user device, communication device, video processing and/or rendering device, appliance device, gaming device, electronic device, and/or as another type of device. Device 1400 may also be associated with a user (e.g., a person) and/or an entity that operates the device such that a device describes logical devices that include users, software, firmware, and/or a combination of devices.

Device 1400 includes communication devices 1402 that enable wired and/or wireless communication of device data 1404 (e.g., received data, data that is being received, data scheduled for broadcast, data packets of the data, etc.). The device data 1404 or other device content can include configuration settings of the device, media content stored on the device, and/or information associated with a user of the device. Media content stored on device 1400 can include any type of audio, video, and/or image data. Device 1400 includes one or more data inputs 1406 via which any type of data, media content, and/or inputs can be received, such as user-selectable inputs, messages, music, television media content, recorded video content, and any other type of audio, video, and/or image data received from any content and/or data source.

Device 1400 also includes communication interfaces 1408, which can be implemented as any one or more of a serial and/or parallel interface, a wireless interface, any type of network interface, a modem, and as any other type of communication interface. The communication interfaces 1408 provide a connection and/or communication links between device 1400 and a communication network by which other electronic, computing, and communication devices communicate data with device 1400.

Device 1400 includes one or more processors 1410 (e.g., any of microprocessors, controllers, and the like), which process various computer-executable instructions to control the operation of device 1400 and to enable application reporting in an application-selectable interface. Alternatively or in addition, device 1400 can be implemented with any one or combination of hardware, firmware, or fixed logic circuitry that is implemented in connection with processing and control circuits, which are generally identified at 1412. Although not shown, device 1400 can include a system bus or data transfer system that couples the various components within the device. A system bus can include any one or combination of different bus structures, such as a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, a universal serial bus, and/or a processor or local bus that utilizes any of a variety of bus architectures.

Device 1400 also includes computer-readable storage media 1414, such as one or more memory devices that enable persistent and/or non-transitory data storage (i.e., in contrast to mere signal transmission), examples of which include random access memory (RAM), non-volatile memory (e.g., any one or more of a read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, EPROM, EEPROM, etc.), and a disk storage device. A disk storage device may be implemented as any type of magnetic or optical storage device, such as a hard disk drive, a recordable and/or rewriteable compact disc (CD), any type of a digital versatile disc (DVD), and the like. Device 1400 can also include a mass storage media device 1416.

Computer-readable storage media 1414 provides data storage mechanisms to store the device data 1404, as well as various device applications 1418 and any other types of information and/or data related to operational aspects of device 1400. For example, an operating system 1420 can be maintained as a computer application with the computer-readable storage media 1414 and executed on processors 1410. The device applications 1418 may include a device manager, such as any form of a control application, software application, signal-processing and control module, code that is native to a particular device, a hardware abstraction layer for a particular device, and so on.

The device applications 1418 also include any system components or modules to implement techniques for progressively indicating new content in, or pre-rendering new content for, an application-selectable user interface. In this example, the device applications 1418 can include interface manager 210 and applications 212.

Conclusion

Although embodiments of techniques and apparatuses for progressively indicating new content in, or pre-rendering new content for, an application-selectable user interface have been described in language specific to features and/or methods, it is to be understood that the subject of the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or methods described. Rather, the specific features and methods are disclosed as example implementations for progressively indicating new content in, or pre-rendering new content for, an application-selectable user interface. 

1. A computer-implemented method comprising: presenting, in a visible region of an application-selectable user interface, a set of tiles associated with a set of applications; determining a subset of the set of tiles associated with a subset of applications for which new content is available, at least one tile of the subset of the set of tiles for which new content is available being associated with an application of the subset of applications that is not executing; determining that a number of tiles of the subset or a fraction of the subset relative to the set exceeds a pre-determined threshold; and progressively indicating in each of the tiles of the subset that new content is available.
 2. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein progressively indicating that new content is available presents new content in the one tile of the subset while the application associated with the one tile is not executing.
 3. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 2, further comprising receiving selection of the one tile of the subset through the application-selectable user interface and, responsive to the selection, executing the application associated with the one tile of the subset.
 4. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein progressively indicating that new content is available cascades, from one side of the visible region to another side of the visible region, animations across each of the tiles of the subset.
 5. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein progressively indicating that new content is available cascades, from one corner of the visible region to an opposite-most corner of the visible region, animations across each of the tiles of the subset.
 6. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein progressively indicating that new content is available alters an appearance of each of the tiles of the subset in two or more stages.
 7. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 6, wherein progressively indicating alters the appearance of each of the tiles of the subset by presenting new content or an indicator indicating that new content is available.
 8. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, wherein progressively indicating that new content is available animates each of the tiles of the subset in two or more stages.
 9. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein progressively indicating animates a tile of the subset by presenting a rotation of portions of new content within the tile of the subset.
 10. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 9, wherein presenting the rotation of portions of the new content rotates text and an image within the tile of the subset.
 11. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 8, wherein progressively indicating animates a tile of the subset by cycling presentation of multiple portions of new content within the tile of the subset.
 12. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 1, further comprising determining, prior to determining the subset of the set of tiles associated with the subset of applications for which new content is available, the pre-determined threshold based on a number of tiles in the set and a size of the visible region of the application-selectable user interface.
 13. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving reports associated with multiple applications and indicating new contents or updates to the multiple applications, the multiple applications having associated tiles of an interface through which the new contents or the updates can be indicated; determining which of the associated tiles are in a region of the interface; determining an order in which to indicate the new contents or the updates, the order including a delay prior to indicating at least one of the new contents or the updates in the region of the interface; and indicating the new contents or the updates in the region of the interface and according to the order.
 14. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 13, wherein one or more of the multiple applications is not executing during the receiving reports, the determining which of the associated tiles are in the region, the determining the order, and the indicating.
 15. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 14, further comprising receiving selection, after the indicating the new contents or the updates, of a tile associated with one of the one or more of the multiple applications that is not executing and, responsive to the selection, executing the application associated with the selected tile.
 16. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 13, wherein determining the order is based on a layout of the associated tiles in the region.
 17. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 13, wherein determining the order is based on a number of reports or notifications received for each of the multiple applications.
 18. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 13, wherein the delay is determined based on: an amount of time to complete an animation that indicates the new contents or the updates; a number of the associated tiles in the region; or a fraction of the associated tiles in the region relative to a total number of tiles in the region.
 19. A computer-implemented method as described in claim 13, wherein indicating the new contents or the updates presents the new contents or a portion thereof within the associated tiles.
 20. One or more computer-readable storage media storing instructions that when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to perform operations comprising: determining, for an interface having a visible region in which visible, selectable tiles associated with applications are presented and a non-visible region in which tiles associated with applications are included but not currently presented, a pre-render portion of the non-visible region; pre-rendering animations for tiles in the pre-render portion and for which reports indicating new content have been received; receiving an input selecting to view the pre-render portion of the non-visible region; determining that a number of the tiles in the pre-render portion for which reports indicating new content have been received or a fraction of the number of the tiles in the pre-render portion relative to a total number of tiles in the pre-render portion exceeds a pre-determined threshold; and progressively animating the pre-rendered animations in the pre-render portion responsive to the non-visible region being made visible. 